System and method for partitioning cargo areas

ABSTRACT

An improved bulkhead and partition system in which at least two panels are independently attached to mounting members such that each panel can be moved independently. In a preferred embodiment, two bulkheads or panels are slidably attached to separate pairs of ceiling-mounted rails in a refrigerated trailer such that each bulkhead or panel can be independently slid toward the front of a trailer or toward the rear of a trailer to define, in cooperation with a removable center partition wall, a plurality of different cargo areas to be maintained at different temperatures. Alternatively, two bulkheads or panels may advantageously operate without a partition wall such that the panels may be placed side by side and fastened together to make a full-width bulkhead.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 60/219,534, filed on Jul. 20, 2000, the complete disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to movable partitions and panels, and,more particularly, to partitions and bulkheads which can be used toseparate or insulate cargo during transportation or storage. Theinvention also relates to segregation of cargo into a plurality of areasthat are maintained at different temperatures, commonly known asmulti-temperature transport.

BACKGROUND

Perishable items such as produce and meat are often transported inrefrigerated trailers, railcars, or ocean-going containers that can betransported on ships, trains or trucks. Such cargo transport devices aretypically equipped with a refrigeration unit which conditions the airinside the cargo space, thereby maintaining desired temperatures andhumidities during transportation or storage. Refrigerated trailers,railcars and containers are typically configured so as to enclose asingle, large cargo space. Their refrigeration units will accordinglymaintain the entire cargo space at the same temperature and humidityunless the cargo area is somehow divided. However, when the perishablecargo does not fill the entire trailer, cooling the entire cargo area isunnecessary and costly. It causes unnecessary strain and wear on therefrigeration unit, increases fuel consumption, raises transportationcosts, and lengthens the time necessary to cool the perishable cargoafter any temperature aberration.

Movable partitions and bulkheads having a specialized construction whichpermits the cargo space of trailers, rail cars, and containers to bereadily divided into sections of varying sizes are known. Such bulkheadsand partitions have been widely used to separate cargo areas formulti-temperature transport. The structure and configuration ofpartition and bulkhead systems differ somewhat depending on whether theyare being deployed in a trailer, railcar, or container. Partitionscurrently used in refrigerated truck trailers typically extend fromfloor to ceiling and are generally comprised of modular wall sections.The modular sections are often mounted in channels or grooves on thetrailer floor, held in place by friction, or otherwise mechanicallyfastened in place so as to compartmentalize trailers and truck bodiesfor multi-temperature food distribution. The panels are used to dividethe trailer or body both longitudinally, along the long axis of thetrailer, and laterally, across the width of the trailer. Some partitionsystems include panels that can be readily removed and placed along thesidewall of the trailer when not in use.

Insulated bulkheads are panels that extend across the width of a trailerto form separate fore and aft cargo areas. Like partitions, insulatedbulkheads allow a refrigerated hauler to carry two or more loads atdifferent temperatures within the same trailer or cargo container. Forinstance, bulkheads may be used to separate fresh food products fromfrozen or dry goods. Bulkheads are optionally equipped with walk-throughdoors similar to those used in partitions to permit ingress to andegress from each conditioned cargo area. Due to the functionalsimilarities between bulkheads and panels, the latter are sometimesreferred to as bulkheads.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes an improved partition system in which atleast two panels are independently attached to one or more mountingassemblies such that each panel can be moved independently. In apreferred embodiment, two bulkheads or panels are slidably attached toseparate pairs of ceiling-mounted rails in a refrigerated trailer suchthat each bulkhead or panel can be independently slid toward the frontof a trailer or toward the rear of a trailer to define, in cooperationwith a removable center partition wall, a plurality of different cargoareas to be maintained at different temperatures. In another preferredembodiment, two panels in the form of half-width bulkheads arereleasably secured to one another and independently, slidably attachedto ceiling of the trailer such that each half-width bulkhead can beindependently raised and lowered with a minimum of fore and aftclearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trailer containing center partitionpanels extending along the long axis of the trailer, two horizontalpanels, and a rail and trolley system for moving the horizontal panel inthe axial direction;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of rail system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rail system, trolley assemblyslideably attached to the rail system, and a panel hingedly attached tothe rail system;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the rail systems, trolley assembly, andpanel after the panel has been raised into a stowed position by a liftmechanism; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lift mechanism.

Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicatelike elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, the trailer 10 encloses a cargo space. The cargospace is separated into a plurality of zones or areas 12, 14 that canoptionally be maintained at different temperatures. Center partitionpanels 16 extend along the long axis of the trailer and separate thetrailer into a left zone 12 and a right zone 14. The partition panels 16can have various interfitting modular constructions, as is known in theart. Lateral panels 18, 20 extend laterally from the center partitions16 to the left and right trailer walls. The right panel 20 is mountedforward of the left panel 18, thereby decreasing the volume of the rightzone 14 relative to the left zone 12. Accordingly, the volume of air inthe right zone 14 that must be temperature controlled is minimized,which in turn maximizes efficiency and reduces strain on the temperaturecontrol system.

The panels 18, 20 are slidably attached to the rails 22 with a trolleyassembly 24. The panels are hingedly attached to trolley assembly 24,and the trolley assemblies are slidably attached to the rails 22, 23.The trolley assemblies permit the panels 18, 20 to be moved in the foreand aft direction and to be “raised” like garage doors and secured tothe ceiling when not in use, as shown in FIG. 4 and described in moredetail below.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the panel, trolleyassembly, and rail system can be implemented in a wide variety ofconfigurations. For instance, the rails may be advantageously installedon the side walls of the trailer, thereby enabling the panels 18, 20 toopen like a standard household door. The mounting assembly is preferablya trolley assembly, but may optionally be replaced with any mechanismthat permits rotational, slideable, or hinged movement between the railsand the bulkhead. It is not necessary that the trolley or other mountingassembly permit continuous slidable movement of the bulkhead relative tothe rails. Similarly, the rails may be replaced with other receivingmembers that cooperate with the selected mounting means. It is notnecessary that the receiving means be unitary, continuous, or disposedalong the long axis of the trailer. For instance, the receiving meanscan be a series of individual receptacles disposed along the ceiling ofthe trailer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rail assembly shown in FIG. 1. In thedepicted embodiment, the receiving members comprise longitudinal rails22, 23 having an internal channel adapted to receive a slidable member,preferably a roller. End rails 26 provide a mount for the ends of thelongitudinal rails 22, 23 and also function as a trolley stop. Fixed tothe end rails 26 are lift mechanisms 28 and safety chains 30, thefunctionality of which is described below. Mounting flanges 31 permitthe rails to be fastened to the trailer walls or ceiling with standardfasteners.

Here again, various modifications can be readily made without departingfrom the invention. For instance, end rails 26 can be replaced with endcaps or can be omitted entirely. The end rails 26 can also beadvantageously replaced with half-width movable rails that span andslidably engage the two longitudinal rails on the left 22 and the twolongitudinal rails on the right 23, respectively. Each moveable rail canbe fitted with lift mechanisms 28 and safety chains 30 such that eachmoveable rail can be slid into position relative to each panel beforeeach is lifted into an inoperative or stowed position. Additionallongitudinal rails 22, 23 can be added to accommodate additional panelsor panels of different widths.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the panels 18, 20, the trolley assembly24, and the rails 22, 23. The trolley assembly consists of hinge plates36 that are fixedly secured to the panels 18, 20, a hinge rod 32, andtrolleys 34. The trolleys 34 serve to suspend the panel from the rails22. Trolleys 34 include rollers 35 which permit the bulkhead to be slidinto a desired longitudinal position, as shown in FIG. 1. The hingemechanism 32, 36 permits the panel to rotate about the hinge rod 32, asshown in FIG. 4.

The panel is moved from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the positionshown in FIG. 4 by lifting the bottom of the panel 18 up and to the rearof the trailer. The panel 18 is moved fore or aft, as needed, toposition the base of the panel 18 proximate to the strap 38 having ahook 40. The hook 40 is secured to the base 42 of panel 18, preferablyby attachment to a cooperating receptacle. The strap 38 is pulleddownward to raise the base 42 of the panel to the ceiling of thetrailer. The chains 30 can be attached to the base 18 of the panel tosafeguard against unintended release of the panel 18 from the stowedposition.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the assemblies may be advantageouslymodified to provide additional or different functionalities. The trolleyassembly 32, 34, 36 can optionally be replaced with any known mountingmechanism that cooperates with the rails. The mounting means maycomprise a post or flange integrally molded into the panel 18 andadapted to be received into the rails 22. As further examples, themounting means may include i) a flat slidable member that engages aninterior surface of the rail member and is hingedly attached to thebulkhead, ii) an integral, one piece, arcuate tab attached to the top ofthe bulkhead that can be inserted into one of a plurality oflongitudinally arranged receiving means at a predetermined angle suchthat the tab locks the bulkhead into place as the bulkhead is loweredinto a vertical position, iii) a hinge member that releasably locks intoone of a plurality of longitudinally disposed receiving means, or iv)any other known mounting mechanism suitable for such mechanicalattachment. Likewise, rails 22, 23 can be replaced with other mechanismsthat cooperate with the selected mounting mechanism. For example, therails 22, 23 may be replaced with a continuous rail having a pluralityof axially disposed apertures for receiving cooperatively configuredmounting means or a series of independently mounted receiving membersfor receiving cooperatively configured mounting means. As noted above,the rail members can optionally be mounted on a vertical surface, suchas a trailer wall. Mounting members can thus be selected to enable thebulkheads to swing open like a door, slide in the axial direction inwhich the rail members are mounted, or be readily removed andreinstalled in another set of receiving members. The foregoingmodifications are illustrative only and are not intended to comprise acomprehensive list of all modifications that can be made to the instantapparatus without departing from the invention.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the strap 38 and cooperating lockingmechanism shown in FIG. 4. The strap 38 is positioned over guide pins44, 46. Flange 48 is rigidly attached to cam 50. In use, the leftportion 52 of the strap 38 is attached to the base 42 of the panel 18either directly or through a suitable cooperating attachment means suchas a hook and a mateable receptacle. The right portion 54 of the strap38 is pulled downward until the panel 18 is in the desired stowageposition. Then the flange 48 is forced upward by action of a spring (notshown), thereby forcing cam 50 against strap 38 and locking the strap inplace. To lower the bulkhead 18, the right portion 54 of the strap 38 ispulled downward, which in turn forces flange 48 downward to thedepicted, open position. The strap is then free to travel over guidepins 44, 46 as long as the right portion of the strap is maintained inthe depicted, vertical position in substantial tension, which holdsflange 48 in the open position. When the end of the strap portion 54 israised upwards and to the rear of the trailer, spring force causes theflange and cam assembly to rotate counterclockwise, causing the cam 50to lock the strap 50 in place. Accordingly, the base 42 of the bulkhead18 is lowered toward the floor of the trailer by holding the strapportion 54 in a vertical position as the strap is pulled over pins 44,46 by the weight of the bulkhead.

The panels 18 and 20 may be advantageously used without center partitionpanels 16. For instance, the two panels may be placed side by side andfastened together to make a full-width horizontal bulkhead. A user canadvantageously separate the panels, or half-width bulkheads, from oneanother prior to raising the panels in the manner described above.Further, because each panel is independently and slideably mounted, theamount of rearward clearance needed to raise the panel is reducedsignificantly. The top of the panel can be slid forward as the bottom israised rearwardly, which permits the panel to be lifted and stowed evenwhen pallets and cargo are stacked close to the panel.

The panels of the instant invention may be secured relative to oneanother with a variety of known means. For instance, the panels can beequipped with cooperating straps and buckles. The panels can alternatelybe equipped with cooperating channels, grooves, flanges, polymericseals, or locking pins.

A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various additionalmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope ofthe following claims.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. An apparatus for separating cargo areas in atrailer, comprising: first and second panels, each panel extending in adirection generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the trailer,wherein when in a first operative position the panels abut one anotheralong adjacent peripheral edges of the panels; and a mounting system toconvey the panels in a longitudinal direction independently of oneanother, the mounting system being attached to at least one of a wall ora ceiling of a cargo space.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein themounting system permits the panels to be hingedly raised independently.21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein when the first and second panelsare in the first operative position, the first and second panels extendin a substantially vertical direction.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21,wherein when the panels are in a second operative position at least oneof the panels is hingedly raised to extend in a substantiallynon-vertical direction.
 23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein themounting system comprises at least one trolley and at least one rail.24. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a lift mechanism toraise the panels into stowed positions, wherein the lift mechanismcomprises a movable cam and at least one of a strap or a rope.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 19, wherein the mounting system comprises membersintegrally molded into the panels and adapted to be engaged bycooperating components of the mounting system.
 26. An apparatus forseparating cargo areas in a trailer, comprising: a longitudinalpartition removably attached to at least one of a ceiling or a floor ofa cargo space; first and second panels, each panel extending in adirection generally perpendicular to the partition, wherein when in afirst operative position the first panel abuts a surface of thepartition along a peripheral edge of the first panel and the secondpanel abuts an opposing surface of the partition along a peripheral edgeof the second panel; and a mounting system to transport the panels in alongitudinal direction independently of one another, the mounting systembeing attached to at least one of a wall or a ceiling of a cargo space.27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the mounting system permits thepanels to be hingedly raised independently.
 28. The apparatus of claim26, wherein the mounting system comprises at least one trolley and atleast one rail.
 29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a liftmechanism to raise the panels into stowed positions, wherein the liftmechanism comprises a locking cam and at least one of a strap or a rope.30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the mounting system is comprisedof rails attached to vertical walls of the cargo space and the panelsserve as vertically hinged doors.
 31. An apparatus for separating cargoareas in a trailer, comprising: first and second means for separating acargo space, each of the first and second separating means extending ina direction generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis; and a meansfor mounting the first and second separating means, wherein the mountingmeans permits the first and second separating means to be movedindependently in the longitudinal direction and to be hingedly raisedindependently.
 32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein when the first andsecond separating means are in a first operative position, the first andsecond separating means abut one another along adjacent peripheral edgesof the panels.
 33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a meansfor fastening the first and second separating means together when thefirst and second separating means are in the first operative position.34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first separating meanscomprises a first panel and the second separating means comprises asecond panel, and wherein the mounting means comprises a trolley and arail.
 35. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a means forlifting the first separating means into a stowed position.
 36. Theapparatus of claim 31, further comprising a third means for separatingthe cargo space, the third separating means extending in a directiongenerally parallel to the longitudinal axis.
 37. The apparatus of claim36, wherein the third separating means comprises a partition beingremovably attached to at least one of a floor or a ceiling of the cargospace.
 38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein when in a first operativeposition, a peripheral edge of the first separating means abuts asurface of the partition and a peripheral edge of the second separatingmeans abuts an opposing surface of the partition.